“Come the fuck on Dallon!” I moaned, but the chocolate Labrador was too busy sniffing the backside of some young West Highland Terrier to notice that I was desperate to get away.
Not that her owner wasn’t pleasant.

Okay, I lied, she was most unpleasant.

She was about 90 years old, smelt like potatoes and kept complimenting me on my ‘beautiful eyes'.

I mean, she was the classic old person, wearing all beige clothes, slip on shoes, she was even carting around a tartan shopping trolley with a squeaky wheel.

The old lady laughed, patting her thighs with her wrinkly fingers, “Come along Breezy, good girl”

The small white dog trotted over to her.

I forced a smile as I walked away, “Uh, hold on young man!” Oh God. I groaned and turned around; she was hobbling towards me, arms outstretched.

Was she going to HUG me!?

Worse.

She put both of her hands on either side of my face, smiling up at me. “You’re a very, very beautiful boy, don’t you ever forget that!”

For a moment I actually thought she was going to kiss me. Seriously.

I half walked half ran out of sight, worried she might come back for more. Shuddering I sat myself down near the stream and let Dallon loose to do whatever he does best.

Which is pee on pretty much everything he laid eyes on.

As I got out my notebook I noticed something near where I was sitting, a ball of paper lay next to the base of the tree I was sat under.

I reached over and smoothed it out,

Now I know…that I can’t make you stay…but where’s your heart...

“Where’s your heart, but where’s your..” I sang along under my breath, trying to figure out where I’d seen that perfectly scripted handwriting before.

“Fuck!” Dallon’s bark interrupted me from my train of thought.

As I turned round to shush him something caught my eye. The number on my arm.

Ryan!

I smiled, even though I was already pretty certain he was a fan of My Chemical Romance seeing this confirmed it, and made me smile like a total idiot.

I scanned the paper, upon turning it over I noticed some more lyrics in the corner, some I didn’t recognise.

Well she’s not bleeding on the ballroom floorJust for the attention,Cause that’s just ridiculously odd…

I wracked my brain for any connection, but, aside from having an uncanny alikeness to the book Invisible Monsters I hadn’t heard it before.

I grinned at the thought of him sitting in the same spot as me, writing lyrics, his slender fingers wrapped elegantly around the pen he’d once used to write on my arm with.

It occurred to me that Ryan hadn’t actually told me what time I was supposed to be at his house. I thought about calling him, but I wasn’t good at phone conversations, I always said the wrong thing.

Always.

After much debate I eventually text him. Luckily, I got a reply soon after.

Anytime! x

I felt butterflies form in my stomach at the very prospect of seeing him again.

The only problem was that everything about him screamed ‘I’m too good for you!’

Just the way his hair was styled so perfectly, everything about him was delicate and fragile, he was almost like a doll. His skin was like porcelain, his features so refined and perfectly formed. Even though I’d only spoken to him for about 5 minutes I couldn’t fault him. The truth was I didn’t know very much about him, except that he liked My Chemical Romance, had brilliant fashion sense, possibly liked to write lyrics and was exceptionally beautiful.

When Dallon started rolling in something that smelt rather questionable, I decided it was time to leave, plus I was sweaty and now, thanks to Dallon jumping up at me about seven times on the way home I also smelt like whatever he’d been rolling in.

“Mom!” I called, letting Dallon loose in the kitchen. I’d get throttled if he jumped on the sofa smelling like that.

“Hey Brenny!” I looked up to see my 4 year old sister Kara skipping towards me.

“Hey Kara, where’s mom?” I asked.

“Upstairs, she’s on the phone with Aunt Haley” She said, wrapping her arms round my neck.

“Oh right” I said, picking her up and walking upstairs.

“Brenny?” She asked,

“What?”

“You smell funny”

“Thanks, Kara” I said, sarcastically. Setting her down and walking into the bathroom.

“Brenny, make sure you shower before you go meet Ryan”

“What! How did you-?” I asked, startled.

“It’s on your arm, my friend lives on that street” She smiled sweetly, running into her room.

I sighed, and started the shower, writing down Ryan’s address in my notebook before I got in.

I showered quickly, dried and straightened my hair and picked out some clean clothes that didn’t smell like dog.

“Mom! I’m going out” I shouted in the general direction of her room.

“Okay! Don’t be back too late!”

“I won’t!” I yelled, running down the stairs.

I walked to Ryan’s house, feeling more nervous with every step I took. I had ripped his address out of my notebook and looked over it about seventy times, determined not to arrive at the wrong house. That would be embarrassing.

I mentally prepared myself before knocking on his front door; I’d checked and double checked that this was the right house. Taking a deep breath, I rang the bell.

I heard someone shout and then the sound of someone running down stairs, laughing.

The door opened to reveal a boy about my age, he had brown hair, bright blue eyes and was smiling widely. On his back was another boy, he had big brown eyes, scruffy, dark brown hair and was smiling too.

Oh fuck oh shit no… I got the wrong house. I GOT THE WRONG HOUSE!

“Hey there!” The blue-eyed boy said.

“Um, hi I’m looking for-“

“RYAN, YOUR BOYFRIEND’S HERE!” He interrupted me.

I sighed with relief, feeling my stomach flutter at the words boyfriend and Ryan in the same sentence.

“I’m Spencer by the way, and this is Jon” He laughed, gesturing to the boy on his back.

“So, Brendon, Ryan said you were hot, but wow!” Jon said.

“Hey!” Spencer protested, letting Jon drop a little.

“I’m kidding, no-one’s as hot as you” Jon giggled, wrapping his arms further around Spencer’s neck.

“Right back atcha’” Spencer laughed as Jon reached down and kissed him on the lips. Just as Ryan came running down the stairs.